33: Late that night, most people were still awake, too uneasy to sleep. Suddenly Stratford's head cocked to one side and his feathers ruffled. He turned his head to look at a lady sitting in the hotel lobby with a man.
Gina Templewhite had been carrying on a conversation with her newlywed husband, Benjamin. She paused in mid-sentence, which is what had caught the bird's attention. Without looking anywhere in particular, she suddenly blurted out, "Why won't you let me in?" Everyone's eyes went to her.
Ben asked Gina, "What are you talking about?"
"Not her, a spirit," squawked Stratford.
Kenn asked Stratford, "The woman here is channeling a spirit?"
"Yes. Very sad. Not a dark spirit."
"That's my wife. How the hell is she channeling a spirit?" Ben was standing up now.
Daniel considered this a moment. He turned to Ben. "Is she pregnant by any chance?"
"No. We just got married last week. We're on our honeymoon here. Besides, what does pregnancy have to do with anything?" Ben put his hand on his wife's shoulder.
Daniel's eyebrows went up and then furrowed. "Well, children are very innocent and pure. They are sensitive to spirits. Kinda like animals like Stratford here. Anyway, I've heard accounts of unborn babies being so connected that the mother can have psychic visions through the spirit of the child."
"But she's not pregnant! We use. . ." Ben's face visibly blushed when he realized how loudly he was about to proclaim details about his intimacy with his wife. He lowered his voice and spoke directly to Daniel. "We use protection every time."
Daniel put his palms up in the air in an 'I don't know' gesture. "Well, you know, 'protection' doesn't always work. It's not a hundred percent reliable all the time."
"But that's crazy. Even if she did somehow become pregnant, the embryo would only be a few cells in size." Just then, a loud thud came from the window. Everybody turned to look outside the wall-sized window at the undead woman in the business suit clawing at the glass.
Daniel's eyebrows furrowed. "I'll let you argue the whole 'when does a baby become a baby' thing some other time. Right now there's a zombie outside the window trying to communicate with us through your wife."
All at once, a cry rose up among the crowd. "Mom! What the fuck? That's my mother out there." Lowe Freq ran to the nearest door and tried to open it.
Kenn quickly got over to him and stopped him from letting the woman in. "Lowe, you can't let her in. She might be dangerous."
"Yong, don't listen to him. Let mommy in," Gina said, turning toward Lowe.
"Mom, I'm coming! Fucking let go of me, motherfucker! That's my mom!"
Jeffrey came over to help calm Lowe. "Dude, Lowe. That's not your mother out there. That's just her body. If we let her in she could hurt one of us or even worse."
"Fuck you! Don't say that. Mom!"
Gina's shoulders slumped. "Yong, I'm sorry, but you need to listen to them." Now all eyes were on Gina again. Her eyes gazed lovingly at Lowe.
"Mom, what are you saying?" Lowe hung his head to his chest with his eyes closed.
"I remember now, we were in the car trying to find you. Your father and I. We didn't know what was going on. One of those things was in the road. Your dad swerved and we hit a tree. I'm not sure, but I think I passed out for a little while. It all happened so fast. When I came to, I tried to wake your father. There was so much blood. His head was at such a terrible angle. Honey, your father died trying to look for you. We were so worried. The car was making horrible noises so I got out of the car and tried to escape, but that thing attacked me. I don't know what happened. Next thing I remember, I'm here and I see you."
Lowe lifted his head and looked at Gina. "Mom, what am I supposed to do? God dammit, I haven't spoken to you for three fucking years. The last thing I said to you was that I hated you and wanted you dead. And I did. Fuck, I hated you. But look at you. What the hell am I supposed to do?" Tears streamed down his face.
"Your father and I made a lot of mistakes. You were our only child. We didn't know what we were doing. All we knew was that we loved you. We just wanted you to be successful and happy."
"But I am successful. And I am happy. Look at me, you know. I'm in a band. I mean, we play shows. We're really good, you know. We could get really big."
"I never knew. You never told us."
"You never listened. You always made me feel like I was being bad just by not being you."
"My baby, we did the best that we could."
"I wish you could hear our music."
"I will always be with you. And I will hear your music. I'm sure it is wonderful. You were always so happy. You're my little baby. You will always be my baby."
"Mom, I'm not a baby any more."
"I know. I'm so sorry. When your grandfather, the minister, moved us on a boat, from China here to America, your father and I were newly married. We were so poor then. A can of peach halves was a rare treat. Your grandpa couldn't get by on a minister's wages. Your father helped support him by working at a grocery store. You came along soon after we got here to Arizona. You were so precious. I wanted you to be a baby forever. But I see that you have become something better. You are our son. We're very proud of you. We're glad you're happy. Please don't be angry any more. You will be much happier if you can let go of your anger."
"Mom, I don't know what to do. I won't be angry any more. But I wish I could see you again."
"Please be glad to know that we know you forgive us. Thank you for being our son. I'm sorry you can't see us, but I can see you have many people here who care for you. One day, many years from now, you will see us again. I know you will. We love you."
"I love you too, mom. Please tell dad that I love him too."
"He knows. He's already gone, but I'm sure he's looking down at you. I need to go join him now, but I will look down here upon your life always."
Kenn had long since let go of Lowe and put a hand on his shoulder. "Mrs. Lowe, my brother can lead you to the light. Is there anything else you would like to say before you go?"
"Yong, be strong, always. We will be with you wherever you go. We love you and we're proud of you."
"I love you both. I'm glad we talked. Bye mom." Ben let go of Gina's shoulder so that she could hug Lowe.
"Goodbye, my son. And please, get rid of my body. I don't want to walk around as one of those things."
Kenn nodded his head. "Don't worry, Mrs. Lowe. I'll take care of this personally. Yong, you shouldn't see this. You should remember your mother the way she was in life."
Lowe squeezed his eyes shut and Carrionette led him up to room 742 where he was staying. Daniel opened the door and Kenn went out to where Yong's mother was still clawing at the glass. He gripped her arms from behind and led her away from where onlookers could see. He pinned her to the ground with one knee and smashed her head with a rock. He and Daniel buried her in a secluded area of the park.
Gina Templewhite had been carrying on a conversation with her newlywed husband, Benjamin. She paused in mid-sentence, which is what had caught the bird's attention. Without looking anywhere in particular, she suddenly blurted out, "Why won't you let me in?" Everyone's eyes went to her.
Ben asked Gina, "What are you talking about?"
"Not her, a spirit," squawked Stratford.
Kenn asked Stratford, "The woman here is channeling a spirit?"
"Yes. Very sad. Not a dark spirit."
"That's my wife. How the hell is she channeling a spirit?" Ben was standing up now.
Daniel considered this a moment. He turned to Ben. "Is she pregnant by any chance?"
"No. We just got married last week. We're on our honeymoon here. Besides, what does pregnancy have to do with anything?" Ben put his hand on his wife's shoulder.
Daniel's eyebrows went up and then furrowed. "Well, children are very innocent and pure. They are sensitive to spirits. Kinda like animals like Stratford here. Anyway, I've heard accounts of unborn babies being so connected that the mother can have psychic visions through the spirit of the child."
"But she's not pregnant! We use. . ." Ben's face visibly blushed when he realized how loudly he was about to proclaim details about his intimacy with his wife. He lowered his voice and spoke directly to Daniel. "We use protection every time."
Daniel put his palms up in the air in an 'I don't know' gesture. "Well, you know, 'protection' doesn't always work. It's not a hundred percent reliable all the time."
"But that's crazy. Even if she did somehow become pregnant, the embryo would only be a few cells in size." Just then, a loud thud came from the window. Everybody turned to look outside the wall-sized window at the undead woman in the business suit clawing at the glass.
Daniel's eyebrows furrowed. "I'll let you argue the whole 'when does a baby become a baby' thing some other time. Right now there's a zombie outside the window trying to communicate with us through your wife."
All at once, a cry rose up among the crowd. "Mom! What the fuck? That's my mother out there." Lowe Freq ran to the nearest door and tried to open it.
Kenn quickly got over to him and stopped him from letting the woman in. "Lowe, you can't let her in. She might be dangerous."
"Yong, don't listen to him. Let mommy in," Gina said, turning toward Lowe.
"Mom, I'm coming! Fucking let go of me, motherfucker! That's my mom!"
Jeffrey came over to help calm Lowe. "Dude, Lowe. That's not your mother out there. That's just her body. If we let her in she could hurt one of us or even worse."
"Fuck you! Don't say that. Mom!"
Gina's shoulders slumped. "Yong, I'm sorry, but you need to listen to them." Now all eyes were on Gina again. Her eyes gazed lovingly at Lowe.
"Mom, what are you saying?" Lowe hung his head to his chest with his eyes closed.
"I remember now, we were in the car trying to find you. Your father and I. We didn't know what was going on. One of those things was in the road. Your dad swerved and we hit a tree. I'm not sure, but I think I passed out for a little while. It all happened so fast. When I came to, I tried to wake your father. There was so much blood. His head was at such a terrible angle. Honey, your father died trying to look for you. We were so worried. The car was making horrible noises so I got out of the car and tried to escape, but that thing attacked me. I don't know what happened. Next thing I remember, I'm here and I see you."
Lowe lifted his head and looked at Gina. "Mom, what am I supposed to do? God dammit, I haven't spoken to you for three fucking years. The last thing I said to you was that I hated you and wanted you dead. And I did. Fuck, I hated you. But look at you. What the hell am I supposed to do?" Tears streamed down his face.
"Your father and I made a lot of mistakes. You were our only child. We didn't know what we were doing. All we knew was that we loved you. We just wanted you to be successful and happy."
"But I am successful. And I am happy. Look at me, you know. I'm in a band. I mean, we play shows. We're really good, you know. We could get really big."
"I never knew. You never told us."
"You never listened. You always made me feel like I was being bad just by not being you."
"My baby, we did the best that we could."
"I wish you could hear our music."
"I will always be with you. And I will hear your music. I'm sure it is wonderful. You were always so happy. You're my little baby. You will always be my baby."
"Mom, I'm not a baby any more."
"I know. I'm so sorry. When your grandfather, the minister, moved us on a boat, from China here to America, your father and I were newly married. We were so poor then. A can of peach halves was a rare treat. Your grandpa couldn't get by on a minister's wages. Your father helped support him by working at a grocery store. You came along soon after we got here to Arizona. You were so precious. I wanted you to be a baby forever. But I see that you have become something better. You are our son. We're very proud of you. We're glad you're happy. Please don't be angry any more. You will be much happier if you can let go of your anger."
"Mom, I don't know what to do. I won't be angry any more. But I wish I could see you again."
"Please be glad to know that we know you forgive us. Thank you for being our son. I'm sorry you can't see us, but I can see you have many people here who care for you. One day, many years from now, you will see us again. I know you will. We love you."
"I love you too, mom. Please tell dad that I love him too."
"He knows. He's already gone, but I'm sure he's looking down at you. I need to go join him now, but I will look down here upon your life always."
Kenn had long since let go of Lowe and put a hand on his shoulder. "Mrs. Lowe, my brother can lead you to the light. Is there anything else you would like to say before you go?"
"Yong, be strong, always. We will be with you wherever you go. We love you and we're proud of you."
"I love you both. I'm glad we talked. Bye mom." Ben let go of Gina's shoulder so that she could hug Lowe.
"Goodbye, my son. And please, get rid of my body. I don't want to walk around as one of those things."
Kenn nodded his head. "Don't worry, Mrs. Lowe. I'll take care of this personally. Yong, you shouldn't see this. You should remember your mother the way she was in life."
Lowe squeezed his eyes shut and Carrionette led him up to room 742 where he was staying. Daniel opened the door and Kenn went out to where Yong's mother was still clawing at the glass. He gripped her arms from behind and led her away from where onlookers could see. He pinned her to the ground with one knee and smashed her head with a rock. He and Daniel buried her in a secluded area of the park.
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